Cardinals lose pitcher for 2013 season

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Cardinals lose pitcher for 2013 season

St. Louis, MO-Cardinals veteran Chris Carpenter is unlikely to pitch during the 2013 season because of continued issues with Carpenter’s right shoulder, neck and arm.

Retirement was not mentioned during a Cardinals news conference on Tuesday, but it’s a strong possibility because Carpenter has mentioned that he’s worried about having a “normal after-career.”

General manager John Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny didn’t sound optimistic that Carpenter would pitch again in the majors.

“We’re comfortable with what we have,” Mozeliak said when asked if the Cardinals would revisit signing free agent Kyle Lohse.

Without Carpenter, the Cardinals have Adam Wainwright and Jake Westbrook definitely in the rotation. Jaime Garcia is recovering from a shoulder injury, Lance Lynn could be a starter or used in the bullpen, and youngsters Shelby Miller, Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal could also figure in the mix.

Carpenter, 37, has had a great career, though serious injuries have continually prevented him from reaching even bigger heights. All of those issues caused Carpenter to essentially miss entire seasons, as he made only seven starts in 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2012 combined. He also was only able to make 13 starts in 2002.

Carpenter is now 144-94 with a 3.76 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 1,697 strikeouts, 33 complete games, 15 shutouts and a 116 ERA-plus in 2,219 1/3 innings. In the postseason, he has gone 10-4 with a 3.00 ERA, winning two World Series rings.